A Day of Scandal in Major League Baseball

Obviously, unless you’ve been living under a rock, you have heard that Manny Ramirez has been suspended by the commissioner for failing a drug test.

Initially, the drug used by Ramirez was listed as some sort of “sexual enhancement” drug similar to Viagra. However, as the day progressed and more details became available, it was revealed that Ramirez had tested positive for using the drug HCG.

HCG, also known as the Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, is a hormone that is normally produced during pregnancy. It is often used by women who are trying to improve fertility chances.

At this point you may be asking; why in the world would a male professional athlete jeopardize his career by taking a fertility drug? The answer is that the drug also functions as a bridge to wean steroid users off of the drugs and help their testosterone levels return to normal.

Obviously, the use of such a drug is going to lead to speculation that Ramirez used other substances such as HGH. However, those around the baseball world are denying that connection. These people include, surprisingly, Red Sox players who suggest that Manny unknowingly ingested the hormone.

In the coming days and weeks we will learn more about the controversy surrounding Ramirez, but until then it is mere speculation as to whether or not the Hall-of-Fame bound slugger cheated his way into the record books.